Terror dogs
Possessor
Appeared in	Ghostbusters Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions) (cameo) The Real Ghostbusters-Intro for season 4-7 The Real Ghostbusters-"Egon's Ghost" The Real Ghostbusters-"The Copycat" The Real Ghostbusters-"Jailbusters"
Class Level	Class 6

The Terror Dogs are a vicious breed of demonic hellhounds found in the Ghostbusters franchise, dating as far back as the original film.

Terror Dogs are large and bulky monsters vaguely resembling actual dogs but have horns and glowing red eyes as well as a degree of intelligence and can possess human beings as vessels. Although rarely seen, there seems to be more than one type of Terror Dog, with a much larger breed being briefly seen in the cartoon series.

The most famous (as well as the most powerful) Terror Dogs in Ghostbusters canon were the two loyal servants of Gozer known as Zuul and Vinz Clortho.

HistoryEdit

Ghostbusters (film)Edit

The Terror Dogs are two horned, dog-like, demonic monsters with blazing red eyes and powerful dark-colored bodies. They are Zuul The Gatekeeper & Vinz Clortho The Keymaster, loyal minions of Gozer the Gozerian. Zuul & Vinz first appear in Dana's apartment building. Zuul stalked Dana Barrett, first appearing inside her refrigerator and later possessing her body in her kitchen. Vinz then appears in Louis Tully's apartment in the middle of a party, chasing him down in Central Park before taking possession of his body. After possessing both tenants the Terror Dogs change their personality radically. Dana, her body now possessed by Zuul, becomes hypersexualized. She aggressively seduces Peter Venkman when he arrives for their previously scheduled date, later exhibiting further signs of her demonic Terror Dog possession when she levitates off her bed, growling inhumanly when Peter rejects her advances. Then Louis, becomes an even clumsier version of his non-possessed self. First stumbling around Central Park, confusing The Gatekeeper with a carriage horse, then presenting his signs of possession by flaring his eyes red and growling at a coachman when he offers him a ride, which gets him arrested and dropped of at the Ghostbusters headquarters. Both Terror Dogs later seek each other out, seizing the opportunity caused by the explosion at the Ghostbusters' Firehouse.

Zuul and Vinz finally meet inside Dana's apartment, kissing passionately and immediately heading for the building rooftop to complete their ritual union. After completing their mating ritual, the two possessed beings are struck by lightning which they use to open the Temple door to secure Gozer's arrival then, with the doorway fully open, Zuul and Vinz complete their transformation from Dana and Louis' human forms to their original demonic, Terror Dog bodies. With their transformation complete, they take their places besides Gozer. Later, they become charred statues of their demonic bodies once Gozer is defeated, trapping Dana and Louis inside of them until the Ghostbusters break them free.

Ghostbusters: The Video GameEdit

In Central Park's Cult Cemetery Shandor Mausoleum, there are two statues of Terror Dogs seen in the room where Ivo Shandor absorbed enough energy to take on a Supreme Destructor Form.

The Real GhostbustersEdit

Not much is known about the creatures as they are not shown much in the animated series. Though Terror Dogs do make cameo appearances in the episodes "Egon's Ghost", as well as "Copycat" and even in the second intro.

In one parallel dimension, ruled by the demon Tolay, a second type of Terror Dog exists. It is much larger than the Gozerian version but easily pacified with a few blasts of the Proton Stream.

During an experiment with an alternative form of paranormal storage, Egon and Ray opened a Transdimensional Portal into the Nether World. A Terror Dog was lured but was held back by the Portal's safety field. However, during a lockdown, Egon confronted the Copycat and accidentally shot the Portal. The Terror Dog crossed over into the Firehouse. The Ghostbusters used their four blast streams to force it back through the portal. The Governor ghost owns a pair of giant Terror Dogs and used them to chase after the Ghostbusters as they attempted to (and successfully) escaped Ghostworld.

TriviaEdit

• When encountered by humans, one such creature has been mistaken for the following:
  • Dog ^[1]
  • Bear ^[2]
  • Cougar ^[3]

• While not part of Kenner's "Real Ghostbusters" toy line, NECA Toys created action figures based on Zuul and Vinz Clortho. The Mini-Mates figures will also produce figures based on the Terror Dogs.

• A Terror Dog is seen in What in Samhain Just Happened?! on page 22. It is among the audience watching Sam Hain perform.

• A Terror Dog appears on the Second Printing cover of Ghostbusters Issue #2.

• On page 23 of Ghostbusters Issue #3, File #F390, the Tolaysian Terror Dogs are noted to be larger than the Gozerian variety and are accounted for in Tobin's Spirit Guide (2nd Edition, 1937). The Gozerian Terror Dogs are covered in File #F002 A & B.

• On page 13 of Ghostbusters Issue #11, a Gozerian Terror Dog appears in Ecto-1a's window behind Peter.

AppearancesEdit

Primary CanonEdit

Ghostbusters

• As Vinz Clortho and Zuul.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions)

• As a brief cameo as statues in Shandor's Mausoleum

Secondary CanonEdit

The Real Ghostbusters

• Appears in the Introduction Title Sequence for seasons four to seven
• "Egon's Ghost"
  • As the larger Tolaysian Terror Dog
• "Victor the Happy Ghost"
  • Peter references the Terror Dog. ^[4]
• "The Copycat"
• "Jailbusters"
  • The Governor's giant Terror Dogs

IDW Publishing

• "What in Samhain Just Happened?!"
  • Gozerian Terror Dog among crowd watching Sam Hain

See AlsoEdit

• Bog Hound
• Rall
• Hound of the Baskervilles
• Spectral Dogs
• Hound Demon
• Vinz Clortho
• Zuul

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ Louis Tully (1999).Ghostbusters (1999) (DVD ts. 54:48). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Louis Tully says: "Nice doggy."
2. ↑ Louis Tully (1999).Ghostbusters (1999) (DVD ts. 53:57). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Louis Tully says: "Help! There's a bear loose in my apartment!"
3. ↑ Police Investigator (1999).Ghostbusters (1999) (DVD ts. 55:15-55:18). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Policeman Investigator says: "Some moron brought a cougar to a party, and it went berserk."
4. ↑ Peter Venkman (2009).The Real Ghostbusters- "Victor the Happy Ghost" (1986) (DVD ts. 13:18-13:19). Time Life Entertainment.

GalleryEdit

OverallEdit

Primary CanonEdit

Zuul, The Gatekeeper, that possessed Dana Barrett.

Vinz Clortho, The Keymaster, that possessed Louis Tully.

Dana and Louis, possessed by the Terror Dogs.

Cameos in form of statues seen in Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions)

Cameo in form of statue seen in Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions)

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Secondary CanonEdit

Terror Dog as seen in "The Copycat"

The Terror Dog as seen in The Real Ghostbusters episode "The Copycat"

A Terror Dog, as seen in the intro to Slimer! and The Real Ghostbusters, Season 4 til the shows end.

Size of Tolaysian Terror Dog relative to man.

Tolaysian Terror Dog, up close.

The Governor's giant Terror Dogs

Cameo in What in Samhain Just Happened?!

Cameo in Ghostbusters Issue #11

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